Funding for a new free school in Solihull to help meet the rising demand from autistic pupils has been approved by the government.

This week the Department for Education (DfE) confirmed that the council's bid, submitted last year, had been successful.

Further details about the school, which will cater for up to 100 students, are set to emerge in the coming months.

The news comes just a week after suggestions that the decision could be delayed, as the civil service continues to grapple with Brexit.

(Image: PA)

Louise Rees, the council's new director of children's services and skills, confirmed the application had been approved in a report to the health and wellbeing board.

"Nationally 39 out of the 65 bids were successful, so it was by no means a given that we were going to get through this," she said.

"Within the West Midlands there have been ourselves and three others who have had free school bids approved...Stoke, Sandwell and Shropshire.

"For the region that's really good news I think and I know from my experience of being involved in the Stoke-on-Trent bid just how much work has gone in from the team and partners around the table, who have contributed to that bid getting through the approval process."

The school is designed to boost the provision available locally and reduce the council's reliance on places outside the borough - at present around 80 odd pupils are being educated in other authorities.

Ms Rees said this brings with it difficulties for families and various transport costs.

"I think we ought to stress also that this is [just] part of our provision, there is a lot of other new stuff going on within the borough.

"We have additional resource centres attached to some of our mainstream schools and we are talking to heads of our schools about whether they're meeting their duty to make proper provision for those young people with SEND (special educational needs and disability)."

It is yet to be confirmed where the school will be built or the organisation which will be appointed to run it.

The amount of money made available from the DfE will depend on further discussions with the council.

Nationwide, the total programme will create around 3,500 additional school places.

Announcing the funding, Education Secretary Damian Hinds said: "These new special free schools and alternative provision schools will make sure that more complex needs can be provided to help support every child to have a quality education.”